Share your feedback on the draft report: ICOM - External Governance Review

ICOM Netherlands is tightening the association’s membership criteria from 1 July 2023. According to its statutes, ICOM is an international organisation of museums and museum professionals and a network for exchanging knowledge and experience internationally. ICOM NL is of course bound by these statutes. In the elaboration and handling of the membership criteria, however, major differences have emerged over time between the various national committees of other countries. Compared to other committees, ICOM NL is an exception because of its high number of student members.

14/12/2021

At ICOM’s request, Doyenne Strategy and Luma Consulting have conducted an external review on the functioning of ICOM.
With a view to working more transparently and involving members worldwide, members of ICOM Netherlands are now asked to read the report and respond to it.

Read the CONCEPT report

Motivation and purpose

In 2019, the Extraordinary General Assembly in Kyoto on the new museum definition descended into chaos. Subsequently, things went awry at various levels. This led to a large number of resignations from both the MDPP2 (the committee that guided the process towards the new definition) and the Executive Board in June 2020. Even the President of ICOM resigned.
Ultimately, it was decided to commission an independent investigation into the events, including identifying which structural issues in the ICOM organisation contributed to them.
The aim is to learn lessons for the future of ICOM and to improve governance.

Process and timeline to arrive at recommendations

The draft report is now available and all National and International Committees have been requested to share it with their members and ask them for feedback, ICOM Netherlands included. See below for the compilers questions.
In February/March 2022 the compilers will hold roundtable meetings with the chairs of all committees, during which each chair will summarise the feedback from their members.
All of that input will be incorporated by the researchers into their final report, which is due in April 2022.

Questions for members about the CONCEPT report

  1. What is missing from the draft report? Or what misrepresents the events that led to the board’s resignation in 2020 and the resulting crisis? What still needs to be answered?
  2. Are the preliminary findings consistent with your experiences and observations? Do they provide sufficient context for the recommendations?
  3. What is missing from the recommendations? What aspects of governance have not been addressed yet? What would make the recommendations more relevant and useful to ICOM Netherlands?

Input from members of ICOM Netherlands

Can be done in two ways:

  1. Participation in an online discussion on Thursday 13 January 2022 from 19.30-21.00, when Hans van de Bunte will elaborate on the report and we will discuss the most important findings of the study together.
    Register at secretariaat@icom.nl before 12 January. You will be sent the ZOOM link shortly beforehand.
  2. E-mail your answer to the three questions to: secretariaat@icom.nl before 1 February 2022.